Luke Ferraris was three out of three tonight after scoring on the Francis Lui-trained Hameron (HKJC.com)

Ferraris Treble, Hewitson Reaches 50

Luke Ferraris will unfortunately not be joining Lyle Hewitson as an out of country rider on World Pool Gold Cup day, but he was in devastating form at Happy Valley in Hong Kong tonight and scored his first treble on the racing mad island.

Not only that but he only had four rides, so was going along at 100% for the night after the first three of them won.

Hewitson scored a double to reach the 50 wins mark for the season.

It was Happy Valley’s last meeting of the season, so both riders will be happy to have reached those milestones just before the racing break.

Ferraris’ treble took him to 35 wins in a season in which Zac Purton set a new record for number of wins.

Purton also scored a treble on the night to go to 176 wins for the season, which is now six better than Joao Moreira’s previous 170 record.

Ferraris had his first ride of the meeting in the fourth race on the David Hall-trained Fast Serve, a New Zealand-bred three-year-old gelding who had shown blistering pace when winning under Ferraris on debut at odds of 5/2. The gelding by Swiss Ace had also proved the usefulness of barrier trials on that debut because he cornered like a seasoned professional while going like the clappers in the 1000m contest. Tonight was over the same 1000m course and distance and he started 7/10 favourite. He showed superb pace again and cornered well again before going on to win easing up by three lengths in the class 4 event.

In the next race Ferraris was aboard the Jimmy Ting-trained Concerto, a six-year-old Australian-bred gelding by Dalakhani, who won for the first time in Hong Kong under Ferraris last time out over 1650m at Happy Valley by 3,50 lengths despite odds of 12/1. Tonight he started over the same course and distance at odds of about 7/1 running off a mark nine points higher and having to jump from a wide draw of ten. He jumped well and Luke managed to take him to the front without exerting much energy. He set a steady gallop and Luke wound it up as he hit the turn. They were never going to catch him. Concerto, who obviously gets on well with Ferraris, won the class 4 event by a length.

Later Ferraris was aboard the Francis Lui-trained 13/10 shot Hameron in a class 3 handicap over 1800m. The five-year-old British-bred gelding by Night Of Thunder had run well in three starts in Hong Kong, having previously won three times in Australia. From pole position Hameron jumped well and Luke drove him to ensure he was in a handy position on the rail. He turned for home in third place and made his run between the front pair. Hameron only just held on in a blanket finish.

Ferraris was placed fifth in the last race aboard the veteran eight-year-old Butterfield, who started at odds of 12/1.

Hewitson led them a merry dance in the latter race over 1650m on the Me Tsui-trained 14/1 shot Telecom Fighters (The Brothers War). The six-year-old Australian-bred kept going to win the class 2 event by half-a-length.

Hewitson won the third race, a class 4 event over 1200m, on the Francis Lui-trained Joy Coming, a hard-knocking Australian-bred three-year-old gelding by Sooboog, who went off at about 5/2. He came from midfield with a run down the centre and held on by a hair’s breadth from a charging horse on the outside.

De Melo’s win on the Brett Crawford-trained Hollywood Syndicate-owned Dynasty gelding Inside Story earned him a double (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Had Richard Fourie been able to predict this drought he might have done a bit more travelling because he had closed the gap to 27 wins and could have got even closer if he had not scored a blank himself on Monday.

De Melo’s two wins today were aboard the Adam Marcus-trained Greys Inn mare Jury Duty and the Brett Crawford-trained Dynasty gelding Inside Story.

He goes to 268 wins for the season and has done it at a strike rate of 19.53%.

He is now 28 clear of Fourie.

There are only 19 days left of the season so his lead is unassailable, but his chances of reaching 300 wins are gone.

De Melo will be riding in Hong Kong next season.

Mrs Geriatrix has the Equus two-year-old filly award wrapped up. (Chase Liebenberg).

Equus Awards – Some Awards Decided Others Up For Grabs

The Equus Award ceremony will be held on August 23 and some of the awards looks to already be virtually decided, whilst others are still up in the air.

The three facets which decide the awards are an expert panel vote, a public vote and a points table and they all have equal weighting.

Sean Tarry looks set to carry the most statuettes home.

Tarry’s Mrs Geriatrix (Vercingetorix) is unbeaten in five starts including a Gr 1, two Gr 2s and a Listed win, so she has the Equus Champion two-year-old Filly award wrapped up. She is having a deserved rest at present.

Tarry’s Lucky Lad (Gimmethegreenlight) is unbeaten in four starts including a Gr 1, a Gr 2 and a Gr 3 and he has won all of them easily. The question is whether he will risk his status as the hot favourite to take the Equus Champion two-year0old male award by running in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes on World Pool Gold Cup day? He has drawn wide in that 1600m event. Even if he does run and tastes defeat he is unlikely to be usurped as the champion elect, because he is well clear in the points table and will be a popular public choice. The three who could possibly usurp him though are the unbeaten Main Defender, who won the BSA Sales Cup well on Hollywoodbets Durban July day, the impressive Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe winner Sandringham Summit and the equally impressive Listed The Sharks gatecrasher winner and Golden Horseshoe third-placed Gimmeanotherchance. Sandringham summit faced Lucky Lad when they were both making their debut and was beaten just 0,25 lengths, so if he comes out and beats Lucky Lad in a Grade 1 it will put the expert panelists in a quandary.

The Champion Older Female award has been wrapped up by the ultra classy Tarry-trained mare Princess Calla.

Princess Calla is entered in both the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup on World Pool Gold Cup day and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint. If she wins either she will go to the top of the points table for the Equus Horse Of The Year award. If she runs in and wins the Mercury Sprint she will go top of the table for the Champion Sprinter award. However, Tarry is swinging towards running her in the Champions Cup because of her draw disadvantage against the log leader on the sprinter table, Gimme A Prince.

The Equus Champion Middle distance award looks likely to go to See It Again and there must be a mistake on the points table in this category because he does not appear on it. He has won the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby and Gr 1 Daily News 2000 over a middle distance and finished second in the Hollywoodbets Durban July where he thrashed the points table leader, Puerto Manzano. He is entered in the Champions Cup, but even if he loses there does not look to be any other horse who can usurp him from his champion elect status.

The Equus Champion Miler has been wrapped up by Charles Dickens, who is one-one in Gr 1 wfa miles with Al Muthana and he also won the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and the Gr 2 WSB Mile.

Charles Dickens is also favourite to take the Equus Champion Three-year-old Male award, but it could all change if See It Again wins the Champions Cup. Charles Dickens does have an unassailable lead on the points table, but if See It Again wins the Champions Cup it will put him 3-2 ahead in Gr 1 wins and he will also join Charles Dickens as the winner of an open Gr 1 wfa event. Charles Dickens has won a Gr 2 and a Gr 3 on top of his two Gr 1 wins and has also had two Gr 1 runner up finishes, while See It Again has won a Listed race and has a Gr 1 and Gr 2 runner up finish on top of his Gr 1 sucesses.

The three-year-old male award might also decide the Horse Of The Year award so is going to be full of intrigue.

The Equus Three-year-old female award should be taken by Make It Snappy. She won the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes against older females and she is well clear on the points table. No other filly in this category has won two Gr 1s, although Bless My Stars did win the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic and was third in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.

The Champion Stayer award is still up for grabs with the World Pool Gold Cup still to come.

Future Pearl looks the favourite to take it. He won the Gr 3 WSB Gold Bowl easily and the Gr 3 DSTV Gold Vase just as easily and is joint second on the points table. The leader of the points table is Salvator Mundi, winner of the only Gr 2 staying race in the country. Salvator Mundi is not a reliable performer but if he wins the Gold Cup he will be an automatic choice.

Trip Of Fortune leads the Champion Older male category as he has won a Gr 1 wfa mile as well as two Gr 2s and a Gr 3. He can possibly add the Gr 1 Champions Cup. However, Gimme A Prince has won two Gr 1 sprints and if he wins the Mercury Sprint he might become favourite to win the award as the only winner of three Gr 1s in the category. Puerto Manzano won both of Joburg’s biggest races, both Gr 1s, so is also in contention.

Hip 174, 2023 Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearling Sale

Authentic Filly Tops Fasig-Tipton July Sale

Paulick Report

The North American yearling sales season kicked off Tuesday with The July Sale, held at Fasig-Tipton’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Ky.

A filly from the first crop of Horse of the Year Authentic topped the sale when sold for $475,000 to Alex and JoAnn Lieblong (video).

Consigned as Hip 174 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Spendthrift Farm, the bay filly is a half-sister to two winners out of the winning Rock Hard Ten mare Scent of Summer. That mare is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Paradise Woods and stakes winner Forest Chatter. The immediate family includes champion Street Sense and Grade 1 winners Mona de Momma and Vekoma.

The next horse into the ring, a colt by champion Good Magic, became the sale’s top-priced colt when sold for $370,000 to Boardshorts Stables (video).

The chestnut colt by the sire of this year’s Kentucky Derby winner was consigned as Hip 175 by Blandford Stud (Padraig Campion), agent. Hip 175 is the first foal out of the winning Carpe Diem mare Scolding, a half-sister to graded stakes placed stakes winner Freedom Flyer and to stakes producer Recoupe.

“I thought we had a very solid start to the 2023 yearling marketplace,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There (was) plenty of money for a lot of horses.”

Rounding out the sale’s top five prices were:

– A colt by Good Magic (Hip 276) out Bola de Cristal (IRE) sold for $330,000 to Wesley Ward from the consignment of Cara Bloodstock, agent for Saintsbury Farms (Jay and Christine Hayden). Out of Galileo mare, the bay colt hails from the immediate family of Group 1 winners Crystal Music, State Crystal, and Zelzal (FR). Hip 276 was bred in Ontario by Saintsbury Farms.

– A colt by Blame (Hip 289) out of Barbara Gordon sold for $310,000 to Kenneth McPeek, agent, from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. The bay colt is the first foal out of a Commissioner mare from the immediate family of champion Basqueian and Grade 1 winner Karelian. Hip 276 was bred in Kentucky by Green Lantern Stables.

– A colt by Not This Time (Hip 312) out of Embur’s Zip sold for $300,000 to Pin Oak Stud from the consignment of Denali Stud, agent for Bridlewood Farm. The chestnut colt is the second foal out of a City Zip daughter of champion Embur’s Song and hails from the immediate family of multiple Grade 1 winner Exaggerator. Hip 312 was bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm.

“All in all, I thought it was a fair market. I don’t think there were any great surprises,” continued Browning. “I think it was overall encouraging.”

Overall, 206 yearlings changed hands for $20,425,000, good for an average of $99,150. The median was $77,000.

Full results are available online.

Klondike (Racing TV) after winning on debut at Newbury.

Jonsson’s Galileo Colt Runs In A Gr 3 At Newmarket (Thursday)

Nick Jonsson’s familiar cyclamen (pink), spectrum green and white colours will be seen in the first race at Newmarket today (Thursday) carried by the William Haggas-trained Galileo three-year-old colt Klondike.

The colt has shaped up in two starts to date as a useful stayer in the making and should he succeed in this race, who knows, he might be seen later in the St. Leger.

The race, which takes place at 14H50 today (Thursday), is the Bahrain Trophy Stakes, a Group 3 for three-year-olds over one mile and five furlongs on the July course.

The Racing Post have not selected Klondike in their first two in the six horse field.

They say:

Five of these bring clear potential but it’s SAINT GEORGE (nap) and Tower Of London who head them on form.

Castle Way Led 5f out in 1m2f Listed race at Newmarket in early May and won in clearcut style.

Klondike Two races; put in his place in 1m3f Listed race at Goodwood but stuck on very well for 2nd.

Land Legend Will stay and should improve again but he is bottom of the list on form

Saint George Second in the 1m6f Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot last time; lots to like

Think First Well held behind Saint George over about 1m6f on last two outings

Tower Of London Smooth win in 1m5f Ulster Derby (handicap) at Down Royal puts him into serious contention

Klondike was born at Luca Cumani and his wife Sara’s Fittocks Stud, which is situated in the hamlet of Upend, five miles from Newmarket.

The colt was the subject of a foal share agreement between Fittocks Stud and Coolmore, who owned Galileo.

The Galileo colt was signed for by John Magnier’s son at the Tattersalls October Yearling Book 1 Sale.

Nick Jonsson has had horses trained before by William Haggas and the latter alerted him to there being a share available in Klondike.

Fittocks Stud retained a share and the two others owners are the illustrious partnership of John Magnier and Michael Tabor.

Melech (JC Photos)

Melech To Light Up Turffontein

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

In the late sixties Doris Day starred in a comedy called “Where were you when the lights went out?”.

If you asked that question to Melech about his last start and he had the ability to answer you, he would reply: “Waiting to get saddled up for Race 10 at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Durban July day”.

In his case that was no comedy, but while Roy Magner’s charge might have missed out on that run he gets another opportunity at Turffontein on Thursday in Race 6, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m on the Standside track.

It really is a fabulous race, containing two of this year’s Guineas winners in Eye Of The Prophet (Grade 2 WSB Guineas at Turffontein) and Peach Daiquiri (WSB Fillies Guineas at Greyville), Grade 2 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes champion Gilded Butterfly and Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes runner-up Whafeef.

Gilded Butterfly and Peach Daiquiri also met in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 at Greyville where they finished sixth and seventh respectively, with just 0.15 lengths separating them.

However, Melech could upset all these feature-race winners. He last ran in the WSB Guineas at Greyville where he finished seventh, beaten 4.95 lengths by Charles Dickens

Unfortunately, things did not go his way that day, starting off with the widest draw which saw Muzi Yeni forced to drop him out. He did not look all that happy in his first run at the course but he did produce the third fastest finish in a race that contained not only Charles Dickens, but See It Again and Dave The King, Cousin Casey and Anfields Rocket, four of them Grade 1 winners.

The handicappers were impressed enough to penalise him 10 points (5kg) for that effort.

It is unfortunate he had to miss out on his July Day run but he does come into tomorrow’s race with just 54.5kg, and this time Yeni has the benefit of No 1 draw.

Eye Of The Prophet had a warm-up win over 1450m on the Inside track and is united once again with Rachel Venniker who will take 1.5kg off his back. This is his best distance which is borne out by his record of three wins and a second from four runs over 1600m.

Peach Daiquiri will have her first run on the Highveld and must be in with a chance with Louie Mxothwa making the trip to Turffontein to ride Alec Laird’s charge.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Longsword, 6 Livebythesword, 3 Feel All Right, 1 Brotherhoodofmagic

Race 2: 1 Bavarian Beauty, 2 Just Be Lekker, 3 No Filter, 5 Grape Shot

Race 3: 1 Back In Business, 5 Southern Skies, 2 Power Broker, 4 Bowl First

Race 4: 4 Fushimi Inari, 5 Hotarubi, 7 No Place Like Home, 1 Felidavian

Race 5: 2 Royal Guide, 7 Maboneng, 6 Napoleon, 3 Pewter Sky

Race 6: 6 Melech, 1 Eye Of The Prophet, 5 Peach Daiquiri, 2 Gilded Butterfly

Race 7: 4 Ivy League, 8 Mamaquera, 5 Nettleton, 3 Fur Baby

Race 8: 2 In The Beginning, 3 Silver Winter, 4 What A Honey, 7 Tayooba

Race 9: 5 Tuscan Gold, 8 Dark Tide, 9 Gal Gadot, 12 Meet The Captain

BEST BET

Race 2 No 1 Bavarian Beauty

VALUE BET

Race 6 No 6 Melech

BEST SWINGER

Race 4 4×5

BIPOT

R144

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 1, 5

Leg 3: 4, 5

Leg 4: 2, 6, 7

Leg 5: 1, 5, 6

Leg 6: 3, 4, 5, 8

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 1

Leg 2: 4, 5

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 1, 5, 6

Leg 5: 4, 5, 8

Leg 6: 2, 3, 4

Leg 7: 5, 8, 9

PICK 6

R1350

Leg 1: 4, 5

Leg 2: 2, 6, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4, 5, 8

Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 6: 5, 8, 9

JACKPOT 1

R225

Leg 1: 2, 6, 7

Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 3: 4, 5, 8

Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

JACKPOT 2

R225

Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Leg 2: 4, 5, 8

Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Leg 4: 5, 8, 9

Adam Marcus completes a double as Craig Zackey brings home Dance Variety (Var). The three-year-old Var gelding has now won twice in 14 starts. (Picture: Wayne Marks).

Domeyer/Bass-Robinson Double, De Melo Double, Marcus Double, Snaith Double

Aldo Domeyer rode a double for Candice Bass-Robinson today at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and there were also doubles for all of Keagan de Melo, Adam Marcus and Justin Snaith.

Domeyer goes to 49 wins achieved at a strike rate 20.08%.

De Melo goes to 268 wins at 19.53%.

Bass-Robinson goes to 75 wins at 11.98%.

Marcus goes to 13 wins at 10.08%.

Snaith goes to 136 wins at 12.76%.

Turffontein Standside Fields, Thursday

Eight-year-old Frank Robinson-trained Leslies Pathtofame was an easy three length winner over 1400m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly on Monday and he was followed home by seven-year-old Farland. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Today’s Question

On Monday on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly eight-year-old Leslie’spathtofame beat home seven-year-old Farland in the seventh race over 1400m, an exacta for the aged.

What is the world record old age for a winner?

Question answer at the bottom of the newsletter

Megalala, who won at the age of 15 at Lingfield in 2016, pictured with trainer John Bridger. (Picture: Mark Cranham).

ANSWER TO TODAY’S QUESTION

The Pedigree Obsessor researched this answer and wrote:

When is a horse too old to race?

The oldest to ever win SONNY SOMERS was 18 when he won a Chase race in 1980 in UK. He boasted a record of 109 runs over 12 seasons with 25 wins.

The oldest Flat race Winner was MEGALALA, an Irish-bred by Petardia, who won at the age of 15 at Lingfield in 2016 in the UK.

A remarkable current runner in Australia is So Si Bo who was born 2 October 2013. The So You Think gelding out of Black Minx (Lonhro x Danehill) is rising ten and has had 94 races for 9 wins, 10 seconds and 13 thirds. He has won three Gr 3s and two Listed races, he has one Gr 1 second, a Gr 2 second and three Gr 3 seconds and three Gr 1 thirds, a Gr 2 third and two Listed thirds.

He last ran on July 3 at Caulfield and his narrow third too his career earnings to AUS$2,244,660.

A remarkable horse in the USA Sir Prize Birthday, who competed to the age of 12, made an astounding 206 starts, running at 20 different racetracks, was ridden by 52 different jockeys, and changed trainers an unbelievable 29 times. In his final 25 starts, at age 11 and 12, he finished in the money in 23 times with six wins, nine seconds, and eight thirds. In his only two out-of-the-money performances he finished fourth and fifth.

The 1980-born Singh gelding career record was 39 Wins, 38 Places and 32 Shows for earnings of $308,182.

https://www.drf.com/news/how-old-too-old-racehorse gives a fascinating expose on older horses.

Turf Talk Newsletter – 12 July, 2023